I sometimes have to question my line of work as compared to my political beliefs. For those you haven't figured it out I would call myself a weak-willed socialist. Others might call me a left-wing pinko or a long-haired hippy freak. To this I take offence, my parents were long haired hippy freaks. I am much more reasonable.

What does this have to do with freelance art? Most.... oh who am I kidding... ALL of my art jobs are for Role-playing games that are rife with guns, guts and glory. Now my parents (the afore mentioned long-haired hippy freaks) raised me as a pacifist. Yet my livelihood, and my chosen past-time are all on some level, vicious bloodsports. Why?

It's not because I am rejecting the beliefs of my parental generation. I am still very much a pacifist, yet I enjoy the idea of all my friends trying to storm up the beach at Normandy while I, taking the role of the Germans mow them down. I go into great (sometimes sickening) detail of the effects of their attacks. Heads explode like a crimson sea spray. Units cry out from pain an make pitiful attempts at last words that trail off in coughs of blood. And I love doing it...

And if you love doing it too, Savage Worlds hits stores this month** and comes highly recommended. Fast furious, fun. Just ignore that little tickling in the back of you brain that says "Can't we play the game where we all cooperate to help build a better society?" and reach for the auto-shotgun. It's a keeper.


**Update**
The Savage Worlds release date has been pushed back to early '03, sometime around March. Trust me, it's worth the wait.